


A Buttercup by Any Other Name

by SunflowerSupreme



Series: Witcher (Show) [1]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-20 05:21:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22076821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerSupreme/pseuds/SunflowerSupreme
Summary: What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Witcher (Show) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1624300
Comments: 11
Kudos: 210





	A Buttercup by Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

> On my rewatch of the show, I realized that Jaskier never introduces himself to Geralt, and, in Episode 6 when he introduces himself to the Dwarves, he uses “Julian” instead of “Jaskier”
> 
> In conclusion, Geralt started calling him that to chase him off and it stuck.

“My name,” began the bard, hurrying out of the inn after Geralt. “Is-“

“Go away, bard,” the Witcher snarled.

The bard seemed to deflate, but only slightly, and his pace never slowed. “Need a hand?” he asked excitedly. “I’ve got two, one for each of the, ah, devil’s horns.”

Geralt ignored him, and if he pulled Roach to walk slightly faster, it was entirely a coincidence.

“I heard your note,” continued the bard, undeterred. “And yes, you’re right, maybe real adventures would make better stories. And you sir, smell chock full of them.” He paused, and seemed to wrinkle his nose slightly, then said, “Amongst other things. I mean, what is that? Is that onion? It doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, you smell of death and destiny. Heroics and heartbreak-”

“It’s onion.” He’d never wished he could fart on command before, but for a moment, he wondered if he could teach the trick to Roach.

“Right.”

For a moment, he thought he was going to get a few seconds of silence, but then Jaskier happily said, “Oooh! I could be your barker! Spreading the Tales of Geralt of Rivia, the-the Butcher of Blavikin!”

Geralt stiffened. Roach seemed to pick up on it, flicking her ears curiously. He stopped. Turned to face the bard. “Come here.”

He looked enough like an excited puppy, bouncing forward eagerly to see what Geralt wanted that the Witcher almost felt bad for what he did next. Almost.

Maybe punching the bard in the dick was a low move, but it made him feel a bit better.

Hopefully, he’d gotten his point across. Geralt took Roach’s reins in his hand again, patted her shoulder, and said, “Come on Roach.”

“Wait!”

“Fuck off, Bard.”

“That’s not my name!” But if he did tell his name, Geralt didn’t hear.

* * *

Finally, when all was said and done, Geralt mounted Roach and made to ride off. _“Into the sunset,”_ as his companion would most likely say (despite the fact that there wasn’t any sunset, it was midday, and they were riding east).

“This is where we part ways, bard,” Geralt said. Then quickly added, “For good.”

“I promised to change the public’s tune about you!” the bard whined. “At least let me try!”

Geralt wanted to say no, wanted to tell him to fuck off, but that hadn’t worked before, so he saw no reason why it ought to work now. And the bard did look like a sad puppy.

So the Witcher grit his teeth and stayed silent.

“You know,” the bard said, “I still haven’t told you my-”

“I haven’t asked,” snapped Geralt.

“That’s rather rude! If we’re to become friends-”

“We’re not-”

“Then you can’t keep calling me bard all the time, it’s unseemly! My name-”

“Is _Jaskier_ ,” he finished, leaning over and baring his teeth at the bard.

The bard seemed to stop, his eyes darting around in confusion. “Jaskier?” he asked. “What-”

Geralt grinned, nudging Roach on with his heels.

“It’s Julian!” The bard was almost jogging to keep up with him now. “Julian Alfred Pankratz!”

“Come on Jaskier,” Geralt shouted. “Keep up.”

“Wait! Don’t leave me!”

* * *

It took the bard almost a week to figure it out. “Jaskier!” he said, slamming the heavy book down on the table in front of Geralt.

The Witcher raised an eyebrow, almost afraid to ask where he’d gotten the book. “That’s your name, bard, not mine.”

“It means buttercup! I knew I had heard it somewhere before- and-”

Geralt shrugged. “Would you prefer Mniszek?”

The bard froze, licking his lips in the way he did when he was confused or trying very hard to rub his few brain cells together. “What does that mean?”

“Dandelion.”

“How _dare_ you!”

**Author's Note:**

> For the purpose of this story, we’re pretending that Polish is like, some sort of ancient, mostly dead language. Like Latin. 
> 
> Also, Jaskier actually means Buttercup. 
> 
> Dandelion in Polish (according to Google Translate lmao) is actually mniszek lekarski. Mniszek by itself is just “Puffball.”


End file.
